"James?" James looked up, and blushed. He had actually fallen asleep curled up in the shower. The mirror was still fogged, so it wasn't a long time, at least. Jessie was starting down at him, one eyebrow raised. James stood up sleepily and wrapped a towel around himself, shivering. "Jessie, I'm really sorry...I was just so tired on the way back...I took a nap and I should have called, but I forgot, I wasn't thinking."
"You usually don't anyway." Jessie retorted. Ouch. James scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. "Now hurry up and come to bed, you'll catch a cold. Or something." said Jessie, with a slightly awkward look. James smiled, he was always amused when she attempted to sound like she cared about anyone but herself. He did what she said, drying himself off and putting on his pajamas, and then falling fast asleep next to the soon to be mother and her sons. He awoke a few hours later. Thee moon and stars were still out and he could see a few streaks in the sky of the day beginning to dawn. He probably wouldn't get any more sleep, and everyone else would be asleep for a few more hours, so he put on his work clothes (a jumpsuit) and with a makeshift floodlight, went to work finishing off various construction jobs in the new house. His experience building various machines helped a lot and he was able to do a lot before he saw the bright orange light of the sun starting to rise in the distance. He then did his usual work, tending to the garden and picking some fresh fruits and vegetables to eat that day. The sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly, and Nanny came down to the kitchen and to her surprise, there was a fresh stack of pancakes already on the table, and James was making the second batch.
"Well my, my! Aren't you the busiest beedril this morning! Being out so late last night, I reckoned you might sleep in." James smiled. "I was so tired yesterday that I had actually taken a nap before coming back...I should have called, but I wasn't thinking clearly." Nanny nodded. "Oh, I see. Don't tucker yourself out too much, you need to save your energy for those little ones!"
"I'll try to go to bed a little earlier tonight." Pop-pop came down the stairs just as James was pouring some hot tea. He looked confused when he saw an array of fruits and plates of pancakes nicely set on the table.
"Did we oversleep?"
James smiled. "No, Pop-pop, I woke up early and got a head start on things today."
Pop-pop laughed as he looked over the table. "This looks amazing!" "You two can start without me, I'm going to make a phone call, and then see if Jessie and Meowth are awake."
James put the last of the pancakes on a plate, and then hurriedly left the room. No matter how hard he tried to be busy with other things, he couldn't keep it out of his mind for a second. His thoughts raced. Michelle. It had to be a mistake. There was one person who he could ask. He ran to a room far away from where everyone else was, and found the videophone. He put on the headset and dialed.
"Hello, Maria?" "Oh, hi James! How is everyone?" Maria appeared on the video screen wearing what appeared to be pajamas or exercise clothes. "Oh, did I wake you? I'm sorry."
"Not at all. I always do yoga while watching the sunrise, so I've been up for hours."
"Oh. Ok." James looked uneasy.
"Is something wrong? Do you have a question for me? You know, I did send you guys a package of books and pamphlets that should cover most of the questions and issues new parents run into, about giving birth, taking care of newborns,"
"It's...not that. It's...Jessie's mother. What was her name? When did she join Team Rocket? I need to know."
Maria looked at him quizzically before sighing. "Calm down. I'll tell you everything I can." James looked at her eagerly. "Her name was Michelle. Her legal name was much longer. I suspect that she came from royalty, or something." The sick feeling in the pit of James's stomach grew. "Do you remember any more of her name?"
Maria's eyes closed. "Hmm...Michelle Jessalyn Bella Roxanne..." she paused "Think there were a few princess names...Cinderella?" she laughed softly. "Anyway, Michelle thought the whole thing was ridiculous and only used her first name. When she turned 18, she legally changed her name to just Michelle."
James nodded slowly. Jessiebelle had a million names too. It was common tradition in their circles to "inherit" a bunch of names. He remembers having a bunch of them at one point as well but it was only on paper and likely forgotten by everyone decades ago. "James, are you feeling okay? If it's too much right now we can talk about it later."
"No. I'm fine. Go on." "She joined Team Rocket at age 13. She was one of our youngest recruits. Most of our recruits had been at least 15, teenagers who got bored with pokemon training looking for something exciting. Oh, and Madame Boss's son had just enrolled in the training program. He was around 10. "You mean, the Boss?"
"Yes, as you know him. But at that time, he was, if I may say it, lazy and arrogant and Madam was often embarassed by him. Which is why Michellle was so impressive to her, and she treated her as her own daughter, maybe even better."
"I bet he didn't care for that."
"Exactly. And after Jessie was born, his resentment grew deeper as he saw Madam dote on Jessie like her own granddaughter. It was no secret that he couldn't stand Michelle or Jessie. "
Michelles expression became troubled and she spoke faster, as if she had to get this story out of her and set it free.
"Giovanni started to look for an opportunity. And then the recording of the world's rarest pokemon from the Andes mountains was on the news. He saw how much his mother wanted it. This was the perfect opportunity. He started to plant ideas in his mother's head and Michelle's as well. Michelle sent Jessie to foster care and embarked on a mission to capture Mew, and then, you might know about this...There was an avalanche. She is believed not to have survived."
James nodded slowly.
"And we lost contact with Jessie until she showed up magically at 16 to start training...and then you did about a year later." James stood up uneasily. "I'm sorry...I have to go..."
Maria nodded empathetically. "You can talk to me anytime."
"Thank you." He managed a weak smile before pushing the button.
"You usually don't anyway." Jessie retorted. Ouch. James scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. "Now hurry up and come to bed, you'll catch a cold. Or something." said Jessie, with a slightly awkward look. James smiled, he was always amused when she attempted to sound like she cared about anyone but herself. He did what she said, drying himself off and putting on his pajamas, and then falling fast asleep next to the soon to be mother and her sons. He awoke a few hours later. Thee moon and stars were still out and he could see a few streaks in the sky of the day beginning to dawn. He probably wouldn't get any more sleep, and everyone else would be asleep for a few more hours, so he put on his work clothes (a jumpsuit) and with a makeshift floodlight, went to work finishing off various construction jobs in the new house. His experience building various machines helped a lot and he was able to do a lot before he saw the bright orange light of the sun starting to rise in the distance. He then did his usual work, tending to the garden and picking some fresh fruits and vegetables to eat that day. The sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly, and Nanny came down to the kitchen and to her surprise, there was a fresh stack of pancakes already on the table, and James was making the second batch.
"Well my, my! Aren't you the busiest beedril this morning! Being out so late last night, I reckoned you might sleep in." James smiled. "I was so tired yesterday that I had actually taken a nap before coming back...I should have called, but I wasn't thinking clearly." Nanny nodded. "Oh, I see. Don't tucker yourself out too much, you need to save your energy for those little ones!"
"I'll try to go to bed a little earlier tonight." Pop-pop came down the stairs just as James was pouring some hot tea. He looked confused when he saw an array of fruits and plates of pancakes nicely set on the table.
"Did we oversleep?"
James smiled. "No, Pop-pop, I woke up early and got a head start on things today."
Pop-pop laughed as he looked over the table. "This looks amazing!" "You two can start without me, I'm going to make a phone call, and then see if Jessie and Meowth are awake."
James put the last of the pancakes on a plate, and then hurriedly left the room. No matter how hard he tried to be busy with other things, he couldn't keep it out of his mind for a second. His thoughts raced. Michelle. It had to be a mistake. There was one person who he could ask. He ran to a room far away from where everyone else was, and found the videophone. He put on the headset and dialed.
"Hello, Maria?" "Oh, hi James! How is everyone?" Maria appeared on the video screen wearing what appeared to be pajamas or exercise clothes. "Oh, did I wake you? I'm sorry."
"Not at all. I always do yoga while watching the sunrise, so I've been up for hours."
"Oh. Ok." James looked uneasy.
"Is something wrong? Do you have a question for me? You know, I did send you guys a package of books and pamphlets that should cover most of the questions and issues new parents run into, about giving birth, taking care of newborns,"
"It's...not that. It's...Jessie's mother. What was her name? When did she join Team Rocket? I need to know."
Maria looked at him quizzically before sighing. "Calm down. I'll tell you everything I can." James looked at her eagerly. "Her name was Michelle. Her legal name was much longer. I suspect that she came from royalty, or something." The sick feeling in the pit of James's stomach grew. "Do you remember any more of her name?"
Maria's eyes closed. "Hmm...Michelle Jessalyn Bella Roxanne..." she paused "Think there were a few princess names...Cinderella?" she laughed softly. "Anyway, Michelle thought the whole thing was ridiculous and only used her first name. When she turned 18, she legally changed her name to just Michelle."
James nodded slowly. Jessiebelle had a million names too. It was common tradition in their circles to "inherit" a bunch of names. He remembers having a bunch of them at one point as well but it was only on paper and likely forgotten by everyone decades ago. "James, are you feeling okay? If it's too much right now we can talk about it later."
"No. I'm fine. Go on." "She joined Team Rocket at age 13. She was one of our youngest recruits. Most of our recruits had been at least 15, teenagers who got bored with pokemon training looking for something exciting. Oh, and Madame Boss's son had just enrolled in the training program. He was around 10. "You mean, the Boss?"
"Yes, as you know him. But at that time, he was, if I may say it, lazy and arrogant and Madam was often embarassed by him. Which is why Michellle was so impressive to her, and she treated her as her own daughter, maybe even better."
"I bet he didn't care for that."
"Exactly. And after Jessie was born, his resentment grew deeper as he saw Madam dote on Jessie like her own granddaughter. It was no secret that he couldn't stand Michelle or Jessie. "
Michelles expression became troubled and she spoke faster, as if she had to get this story out of her and set it free.
"Giovanni started to look for an opportunity. And then the recording of the world's rarest pokemon from the Andes mountains was on the news. He saw how much his mother wanted it. This was the perfect opportunity. He started to plant ideas in his mother's head and Michelle's as well. Michelle sent Jessie to foster care and embarked on a mission to capture Mew, and then, you might know about this...There was an avalanche. She is believed not to have survived."
James nodded slowly.
"And we lost contact with Jessie until she showed up magically at 16 to start training...and then you did about a year later." James stood up uneasily. "I'm sorry...I have to go..."
Maria nodded empathetically. "You can talk to me anytime."
"Thank you." He managed a weak smile before pushing the button.